War and Peace - But no Lion's Heart Peace Prize for Wagenknecht
Founder Sahra Wagenknecht will not receive the Lion's Heart Peace Prize 2024 after all. The announced prize-giving has been cancelled, according to the Human Projects organization, which has been granting the prize since 2016. Previous recipients include singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker, former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, and the Dalai Lama.
Wagenknecht had requested that the prize-giving in Leipzig be postponed to November, explained organizer Karsten Enz. She made this request because she saw "a potential risk for her success in the September state elections" in the event.
"We can't do that," Enz told the German Press Agency. "That doesn't fit together." The Peace Prize will not be awarded this year as a result. This decision was made out of respect for the achievements of previous peace laureates.
Criticism of Entrance Fees
Wagenknecht responded to an inquiry that she had not requested a postponement because the Peace Prize ceremony would have had a negative impact on the BSW election campaign in Saxony. The peace issue is central to the BSW. However, the organization of the event was not convincing. Above all, the relatively high entrance fees were "difficult to communicate for a public appearance of mine a week before the state elections."
It was announced in January that Wagenknecht was to receive the award. Last year, singer Sebastian Krumbiegel of the band Die Prinzen rejected the prize. It was then awarded to journalist Gabriele Krone-Schmalz.
The Human Projects aid organization, based in Baden-Württemberg, honors people with the "Lion's Heart" who have particularly committed themselves to a peaceful world. The task of the laureates is to choose a project that fights poverty, hunger, thirst, and violence, and to allow the prize money to go to it.
- Despite being announced to receive the Lion's Heart Peace Prize 2024, Sahra Wagenknecht will not be receiving it due to the cancellation of the awarded ceremony by the Human Projects organization.
- Previous recipients of the Lion's Heart Peace Prize include Mikhail Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama, and Konstantin Wecker, all renowned figures associated with peace and harmony.
- Initially, Wagenknecht requested that the prize-giving event in Leipzig, Germany, be postponed until November, citing potential risks for her success in the state elections.
- Enz, the organizer, rejected this request, stating that it did not fit together with the timeline of events, leading to the decision to not award the Peace Prize in 2024.
- Sahra Wagenknecht's criticism focused on the relatively high entrance fees for the Peace Prize ceremony, which she found challenging to communicate with a week before the state elections in Saxony.
- The Human Projects aid organization, based in Baden-Württemberg, recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to a peaceful world with the Lion's Heart Peace Prize.
- The task for the laureates is to select a project fighting poverty, hunger, thirst, and violence and allow the prize money to support it, adhering to the principles of peace and harmony.
